Letters: Protesting sequestration

Recently, the El Paso Times ran a picture showing a group of federal employees protesting against "sequestration."

The protest involved approximately 100 federal employees and took place around noon on Wednesday. This is exactly what "sequestration" is all about.

If 100 federal employees can be away from their jobs in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, that is about 100 employees not needed on the federal payroll.

Our government has lost its ability to be economically sensible. It's not their money, they didn't have to work for it, so the government doesn't care how it is doled out.

This country is in deep trouble, and headed for a darker place. We have to get our spending under control. I can just imagine what a half way decent auditor could do with the U.S. government. It is a pathetic situation.

Loy Wells

East El Paso

Gay marriage

Many Americans have been persuaded to support same-sex marriage as a civil-rights issue. They find support in two popular premises that I believe have been erroneously propagated by the media.

They assert that homosexuality is a natural, immutable, God-given trait (like race), and a normal and positive variation of human sexuality. The intention is to attribute homosexuality distinguishing features of classes entitled to special protection.

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The premises fail. Most studies show that people are not born gay. For example, identical twins have identical genes. Then if one identical twin was homosexual, in 100 percent of the cases, his brother would be, too.

However, only about 14 percent of the time his identical brother was, too. Likewise, Dr. Francis S. Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, concluded that, "Homosexuality is not hard-wired." Nurture has a profound influence in the development of homosexuality.

Furthermore, the assertion that homosexuality is a "normal and positive" variation of human sexuality is subjective.

The word normal has a relative cultural meaning and in nature, a positive variant shows the "real and beneficial" presence of particular qualities. For instance, the quality for reproduction is likely the most important purpose of human sexuality, however; homosexuality has no positive reproductive advantage.

I understand that gay people deal with unique struggles; however, the solution is not in the redefinition of marriage.

Jesus Lujan

West El Paso

Not again

So here we have another politician calling for amnesty before sealing the border. We played that game, Ms Escobar. We played , (and were played), back in 1986.

We granted amnesty to 4 million undocumented immigrants with the promise of enforcement É later.

I say not again. Now we have 20 million more immigrants and the politicians think we are morons with short memories.

I say not again. I will go along with amnesty, this time, but not before we get our border shut down. If we have to build the Great Wall of China, so be it, it will still be cheaper.

What will it be "next time," 40 million more?

Sorry, but this raping of the taxpayer has to stop. America cannot be the world's cookie jar, especially when we are nearly broke.

I am not against immigration by honorable, law-abiding people who respect the rule of law. I am against people flooding to this country, overwhelming our institutions, and coming here without any prospects for employment, and over burdening our social safety nets.

I say loudly, to my congressman and senators, you will not be re-elected if you play us again.

"Not again."

Alan Sadler

East El Paso

Rewriting history

Tom Raum's AP article in the El Paso Times March 13, 2013 says the "housing bubble" leading to the great recession in 2008 was caused by the 1986 overhaul of the tax code by Reagan, and Bush's tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 led the nation into deficits. This is rewriting history!

Reagan turned a poor economy around and Bush's tax cuts brought in more tax income than before!

As per my letter "Government Adrift," El Paso Times Feb. 22, 2013, the "affordable housing" strategy of forcing banks to lower home-mortgage lending standards was the main cause for the great recession in 2008 and Obamacare is hurting the economy.

Such destructive liberal policies and, starting in 2000, China's massive growing economy (U.S. jobs lost and lowered wages) and oil consumption (higher gasoline prices) caused the recession in 2008. And the U.S. having the highest corporate taxes in the world doesn't help.

Since 2000, massive spending grew our deficits, doubling each of the last four years from the previous four. Our national debt is now a massive $16.6 trillion from $5.5 trillion.

When the news media are biased, distort and omit facts, it is the same as a censored media. Citizens don't have a trusted source and can be persuaded by slick politicians.

Remember, over time, every government degenerates. Vote for a candidate, not for a party.